How to Make a Living By Playing Video Games

While playing video games for a living sounds like a dream job for many people, like any profession, gaming requires a great deal of effort and work if you want to succeed at a high level. Between the start-up costs, the time required to hone your skills, and beating out the competition for views and attention, it can take a long time to start seeing any real success in the industry.

However, for creative and entrepreneurial gamers, there are a myriad of ideas and opportunities out there to help them turn their hobby into a legitimate job. Whether you’re interested in getting into e-sports, becoming a streamer, or building your own YouTube channel, there are a variety of options available. If you’re considering a career in professional gaming, read on to learn more about how you can make a living playing video games.

What equipment do you need to game professionally?

Equipment do you need to game professionally

One of the reasons many people struggle to get into gaming professionally is because of the cost of the equipment required. You’ll need to keep up with the latest console releases, or keep your gaming PC regularly updated with the latest hardware. That can get pricey fast, so you’ll want to make sure you have a steady income stream to support yourself before you dive into the gaming world full-time. Once you’re making a profit, it makes sense to quit your other jobs, but financing a gaming career in the early stages definitely takes a little investment.

Another way you can monetize your hobby is to start a side business renting out some of your equipment, especially when you aren’t using it. Managing your equipment efficiently can be a challenge, though services like CHEQROOM can help. Their service offers mobile check-out for your gear, calendar integration, easy access for overview of your bookings, QR code identification, and electronic signature confirmation. If you want to get the most out of your equipment while still keeping it safe, consider that a business on the side can help cover your costs.

How can you make a living playing video games?

Living playing video games

E-sports are the most popular, and most obvious, way to turn gaming from a hobby into a professional job. However, skill is essential if you want to succeed when taking that path, and improving can require a significant time commitment. It’s important that you challenge yourself against the players that are at or above your skill level. One of the most popular competitive games, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, offers Elite Smash as a way to do that when you can’t partake in real competitions. It’s an online quickplay mode that pits you against the toughest competition, measured by a metric called global smash power. Once your character has adequate GSP, they’ll be able to fight in Elite Smash Battles. However, it can be hard to unlock without putting in hundreds of hours, and without access to test yourself against higher-level players, it’s difficult to improve your skills. If you aren’t able to dedicate meaningful time to gaming and take becoming a competitive player seriously, it can be almost impossible to get good enough to compete.

If you struggle with playing games well enough to get involved in e-sports, streaming is another viable way to make playing video games your career. While many people do want to watch elite players, streaming also allows those without the ability to compete at the highest level find an audience by having an appealing personality or an engaging playstyle.

Although the initial investment required to get a career in gaming off the ground can be significant, the potential for considerable profits is out there if you’re willing to do the work. There’s no doubt the industry is competitive, and you’ll need to be innovative to make a splash, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth making an effort if gaming is your passion. You can even find creative ways to help finance the early stages of your career by renting out your equipment or providing lessons to others. There are plenty of avenues for enthusiastic gamers to monetize their skills, as long as you put in the time and effort necessary to build a career for yourself.